Page 50 of Sins of the Father

“What else?”

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Then don’t.”

My jaw twitches.

She places her hand over it. “Have I pressured you in any way?”

“What? No. Why would you ask that?”

She caresses my cheek. “You seem to have a lot of stress around us.”

My heart races. “What does us mean?”

“I don’t know. But do we have to know all the answers today?”

“I haven’t even taken you on a date, and I can’t keep my hands off you. I don’t normally disrespect women—”

“Disrespect?”

“Yeah.”

“Nothing you’ve done has been disrespectful, Steven.”

“This isn’t how I do things.”

“Maybe it’s time to change how you do things.”

Since I can’t seem to shut my mouth today, I reply, “I don’t do well with uncertainty, Harper. I grew up with it, and I just... I can’t do it. It throws everything in my life off.”

She tilts her head and softly asks, “So I’m uncertainty?”

“Yes.”

“I see.” She fidgets with her fingers in her lap. “My entire life is in shambles. I don’t have a job and live in a dump. I have no clue what I’m doing with my life and can’t seem to figure it out. I’m almost at rock bottom. You’re right.”

The hairs on my neck stand up. “What do you mean you’re almost at rock bottom?”

“Nothing. Forget about my blabbing mouth.”

“Harper—”

“Please, drop it.”

I sigh. “Okay, but that wasn’t what I was implying.”

“It’s true.”

“I meant you live in New York. You’re leaving in a week.”

The car stops.

“I’m not looking to cause stress in your life. We’ll just keep it in the friend zone this week. Let’s get your things.” She opens the door and steps out, and my gut drops.

That isn’t what you want.

It’s for the best.

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